Chapter 26: Someone Wants to Rob

After ten days, Yang Lan'er and her brother had chopped down more than a hundred trees. Today, they ventured out of the narrow gorge to check on the village. They wondered how the drought outside was affecting the area.

Along the way, they collected various medicinal herbs and caught a few wild rabbits and chickens. By midday, they reached the foot of the mountain and looked out over the nearby village. It should have been a time of lush greenery and singing birds in April, but due to the drought, everything was quiet and desolate. The fields in the distance were bare, which left Yang Lan'er feeling a sense of despair. She muttered to herself, "Searching, searching, bleak and desolate, sorrowful and distressed."

"Let's go home and take a look," Yang Cunyi suggested as he watched his sister standing still, lost in thought.

Yang Lan'er snapped back to reality and shook her head, smiling self-deprecatingly. When did she become so sentimental? She smiled at her younger brother and said, "Okay, let's go home and check it out."

A group of men in the forest watched the siblings leave. One of them turned to the man with a cold and handsome face in front of him and said, "Boss, I thought everyone had fled this village due to the drought, but it seems like some people have hidden in the mountains."

"Xiao Wu, not everyone is as foolish as you," Su Yongyuan sarcastically replied.

Xiao Wu rolled his eyes and gave him a sarcastic look. Su Yongyuan enjoyed teasing him. He continued to speak to the man with the cold and handsome face, "Boss, didn't we hear that the lady of the house is missing? Let's follow them and ask. Maybe they know something."

"Wait for me, Jun," Su Yongyuan yelled, following the man with the cold and handsome face. "Don't rush. We'll find your wife eventually."

Tan Anjun was anxious about his missing wife. He had returned home on leave from the army, worried about her safety because of the prolonged drought. When he arrived home last night after traveling day and night, he found his house empty. He tried to convince himself that she had gone to her parents' home, but seeing the locked door made him realize something was wrong.

In the early morning, when they arrived at Lingshu Village, they found that the village was empty. He felt disappointed. They were just about to look for some food on the mountain when they saw two people. Judging from their facial expressions, they should be villagers from this village.

Tan Anjun followed them all the way and became more and more uneasy. Why were they heading towards his home?

Yang Lan'er had also noticed someone following them, but she thought it was a bandit (due to the fog!) and didn't dare to turn around. She continued on towards home as if nothing had happened. Glancing at her fourth brother beside her, if it were just her alone, she was confident she could fight or escape if necessary. But now...!

Tan Anjun watched as the two people unlocked the door and entered his home. A thought flashed through his mind, but before he could act on it, the door had already been quickly shut. He eagerly stepped forward and pounded on the door, "Open up, open up quickly!"

The followers and Su Yongyuan who had followed behind them were full of suspicion. They exchanged glances and shook their heads in confusion.

Little Wu came forward to ask, "Boss, what's going on? Isn't this your home? This..." Little Wu's motto was: if you don't understand something, just ask.

The two people inside leaned against the door, Yang Cunyi had not yet reacted when suddenly someone wanted to rob them and was knocking on the door so brazenly.

"What do you want? Robbery? Don't you even know who I am? Let me tell you, you have no chance! Not even through the window!" Yang Cunyi shouted loudly to the outside.

Yang Laner had been observing the situation outside the door. From the demeanor of the few people she saw through the crack in the door, they didn't seem like bandits at all. So she didn't say anything.

Outside the door, Tan Anjun and the others heard the words "robbery?" and Su Yongyuan couldn't help but snicker.

Tan Anjun turned around and coldly stared at him.

"I'm not laughing, I'm holding it in." Su Yongyuan couldn't help but laugh, but since he couldn't beat Jun, he just held it in. It was so painful to even think about it.

The other followers behind them folded their arms and looked at Su as he ate his loss, and they all chuckled silently.